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Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better. Albert Einstein

Flaming Bundle Challenge!

John Chilkotowsky, August 21, 2015

Fire is a wonderful teacher.
This is an activity we often do, even with first-time groups. As you read this
activity, identify the core routines participants would be using. What
mentoring tools could you use?

What you will need:

1. Matches2. Area adequate for lighting small fires3. Water for dousing fire

The
Framing:
At some point while camping you
will inevitably find yourself down to your “last match”. If you treat each
match as your last match, when the time comes you will be prepared.

The
challenge:
You have five minutes to gather
a “bundle” of whatever you think will light from a single match. Go!

The
set-up:
While participants search the
local landscape for materials, clear a 5’ circumference area of all leaf
litter/debris.

The
Flow:
When the time is up, call in
all participants. One by one have them attempt to light their bundles in this
safe zone. After all participants have gone, “demo” your own bundle.

The
Conversation:
While each person attempts to
light their bundle, help them to assess what they gathered and ask them
questions as they progress.

Q. What type of materials did
you gather?
Q. What seems to be burning?Q. What isn’t burning?Q. Why did the match go out?

Periodically between

participants’ attempts, ask them broad questions or give them guidance and coaching.

Why
do matches go out? Wind, Water, Smothering.

Which
way does fire burn? Up.

How
do you safely hold a match? Up/sideways.

How
can the group help you to keep the match lit? Wind block.

Goals:When done repeatedly, this is a
wonderful activity for quickly highlighting
to a group
the diverse natural materials unique to each environment. Because each material
works differently dependent on such things as weather conditions (current and
recent) and where the material is in its life cycle (alive/dead/recently dead/decomposing,
etc.), there is amazing potential to highlight ecological lessons without ever
mentioning the word ecology. Of course they will continue to learn from each
other, and their own proficiency at a fundamental wilderness skill--fire
making--will improve as well.

Twists:Matches
can be “earned” in advance of the activity by correctly answering nature
“trivia” questions.
The
activity can be repeated immediately so participants have a chance to
synthesize lessons learned.
This
activity can of course be done in established fire pits in a developed area.

Notes:If you are not yet proficient
with your own fire skills, have no fear. Children are very forgiving and will
soak up your own motivation to learn, so practice with them!

Troubleshooting:

Participants
are not motivated

Try expanding the activity so
there is incentive, i.e. offer apples to roast on the fire once it’s
going, or make hot cocoa.

Tell a story (yours or someone
else’s) to inspire and raise the bar for success.

Nothing
seems flammable

See nothing as a failure but
as lessons learned. Point out that there is simply knowledge missing and a need
for experience that can only be gained from trying.

Frame it as a question:
“What’s happening here and what is this telling us?”